Community wellness recreation center previous initiatives & what's different with this one - community campus

By Skylar Rorabough

Special to the Trail-Gazette

Posted:
06/23/2013 10:49:23 AM MDT

Skylar Rorabough

The recent release announcing that the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District (EVRPD) will partner with the Town of Estes Park, Estes Park School District R-3, the Estes Park Medical Center, and the Estes Valley Public Library District to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Community Wellness Recreation Center to be located at 660 Community Drive in Estes Park.

This is not the first time the concept of a community center in the Estes Valley has been considered. EVRPD sought to obtain funding for community center projects in 1994, 2001, and 2008 bond issue elections.

On May 3, 1994, EVRPD held a bond election to build and operate a 33,650-square foot Community Recreation Center. This center proposed amenities such as a climbing wall, racquetball/handball courts, locker rooms, a weight room, vending and snack area, game room, lobby and lounge, reception and offices, a multi-purpose room, a kid room, full-size gymnasium, and two indoor tennis courts. The projected cost of the center was $4.961 million, which included building, parking, landscaping and furnishings. An additional $99,894 would be collected annually to offset maintenance and operation costs. The District requested a 4.37 mill levy increase from 2.104 to 6.474 mills. 2,700 ballots were cast, with 405 (16 %) "Yes" votes and 2,196 (84%) "No" votes.

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On November 6, 2001, EVRPD held a bond election to increase the District mill levy 1.722 mills, valued at $421,938 annually. This project was a partnership with the Town of Estes Park to build and operate an Events Center on the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park property. The plan called for the Town of Estes Park to provide indoor horse events, conferences, concerts, and conventions 6 months out of the year in the center and the other 6 months EVRPD would operate an ice rink for ice skating and ice sports. The conceptual plan also called for future expansion through separate funding for gymnasium and tennis court additions. The proposed $421,938 tax collected would be distributed in a variety of means -- the Town of Estes Park would receive $322,877 for annual rental payment and $90,622 to offset operational costs, and the Larimer County Treasurer would receive $8,439 annually. The proposed events center was 50,875 square feet in size. This bond question was defeated by a vote of: Yes - 1,791 (43%), No - 2,363 (57%). Total project cost was $6.124 million -- the Town of Estes Park's portion was $2.861 million (47%) paid from Community Reinvestment Funds; the District's portion $3.263 million (53%) to be paid thru general obligation bonds.

On November 4, 2008, EVRPD held a bond election with two questions on the ballot. Question 4D would have raised $15,217,285. The election tax dollars would have allocated $12,931,248 to build a Community Center in the location of the existing primary school building, $1,106,037 for existing pool renovations; $360,000 for Lake Estes restrooms; $720,000 for a new Lake Estes Golf Course irrigation system; and $100,000 for improvements to the outdoor Common Point Gun and Archery Range. Total square footage of the Community Center would have been 58,150 that included the current aquatic center (14,992 square footage). Amenities in the floor plan of this center included an arts and crafts room, active room, general classroom, storage, youth center, youth center offices, kitchenette/lounge, gymnasium, reception area, recreation district offices, conference room, work room, concessions, IT office, restrooms near gymnasium, locker rooms, childcare space, childcare offices, splash pool play area, pool equipment room, pool slide pump room, and family locker rooms. A total of 6,679 ballots were cast, with 3,109 (47%) "Yes" votes and 3,570 (53%) "No" votes. The second question, 4C, was to raise the current mill levy by 1.200 mills and collect $473,000 annually to add funding for tree maintenance - $24,000; trails development & maintenance - $175,000; Estes Park Aquatic Center maintenance and operations - $40,000; Stanley Park maintenance - $19,000; equipment replacement - $75,000; and $140,000 for Community Center operations. This bond issue question passed with 3,516 (53%) "Yes" votes to 3,180 (47%) "No" votes. In today's economy, 1.200 mills equates to approximately $43,000 less than what it was in 2008. Although voters did not approve funding for a community center in past elections, the public polling and surveys conducted before these elections indicated that residents were in favor of building a community center.

According to feedback obtained through recent community forums; local residents, businesses, governmental agencies, and community service organizations are in support of the concept of building a community center in our great community. Given this, the question then becomes, "What needs to be done differently to make this project concept a successful reality that will benefit our entire community?"

Our preferred approach is to conduct a feasibility study that can identify the best approach to tackling the project. Feasibility studies were not conducted by a professional consultant agency for past community center proposals. A key component to the future success of this project is to partner with other community agencies and key stakeholders. And perhaps most importantly, to obtain input from the public about their ideas, needs, and priorities for a Community Wellness Recreation Center through a series of public forums and meetings.

A main difference between the newly proposed Community Wellness Recreation Center and previous recreation/community center project proposals is that the Community Wellness Recreation Center is envisioned as an integral part of a larger "Community Campus" concept. A Community Campus would encompass the planned re-development of Stanley Park, the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park and the future Multi-Purpose Event Center, and the Estes Park Senior Center and Museum.

As Skyler Rorabaugh, EVRPD's Executive Director, recently stated: "Partnering with the Town of Estes Park, the Estes Park School District R-3, the Estes Park Medical Center, and the Estes Valley Public Library District is critical as we consider this concept." He further commented that the partnership pools collective resources for recreation, health and wellness, education, athletics, library, and social services in one facility for the benefit of residents, area employers, and visitors. Each agency will play a critical role in the operations and development of a Community Wellness Recreation Center.

The Community Wellness Recreation Center opens a door to many wellness prevention opportunities. "Wellness education programs can include instilling healthy eating habits in children attending afterschool programs, empowering families to engage in recreation activities, guiding our boomer and senior population

through safe and rejuvenating fitness and pool exercises, or adding additional years of active and healthy living at high altitude," said Rorabaugh. The Estes Park Medical Center can offer a professional perspective in the planning of such a facility and provide expertise in sports medicine, sports therapy, physical therapy, and wellness to include medical services.

Recently, the Town of Estes Park undertook a master plan process to evaluate the future of the current senior center and museum. The original proposal identified town-owned land for the facility's location. Based on stakeholder and community input, an additional location for the senior center was identified during the site assessment phase. That additional site is now the preferred concept for the Senior Center location, which features including the facility and its services as an integral component of a future Community Wellness Recreation Center which would potentially be located at 660 Community Drive, the site of the vacant elementary school building. The preference of placing a Senior Center within a future Community Wellness Recreation Center is monumental in the ability to provide multi-generational programming and services in one facility at one location. This type of support from our local baby boomers and seniors was not apparent in previous election attempts for a community center. One very appealing item in relation to including a senior center within a Community Wellness Recreation Center is the opportunity for outside funding. Philanthropy and grant funding is more apt to provide funding for collaborative projects and projects that include multigenerational elements. Stand-alone senior centers are simply not as attractive to funders or to the generational differences between our baby boomer generation, silent generation, and our G.I. generation.

The Estes Valley Public Library District looks forward to providing some library services at the proposed Community Wellness Recreation Center, a practice that is becoming more commonplace in community centers throughout the U.S. Including library services within the programming and services of the Community Wellness Recreation Center will benefit all generations as well as add to the extensive types of programs and services to be included in this effort.

The Estes Park School District R-3 Primary School Building was closed in 2005 for public school use. The school district believes this facility, with a footprint of over 55,000 square feet, is worthy of consideration as a potential site for the Community Wellness Recreation Center. They want to find a new purpose for this building, whether that means renovating a portion or all of the existing primary school building. Their goal would be to provide a community-driven amenity that will be well-utilized. This feasibility study will be able to answer the question of whether or not it is reasonable to renovate a portion or all of the primary school building. The study will specifically address the feasibility of new construction or renovation of the 19,000 square foot Estes Park Aquatic Center, the 4,200 square foot primary school gym, and the 2,360 square foot children's center - all of which are in use today.

Rorabaugh noted that, "Estes Park is a forward-looking community that puts an emphasis on healthy living and recreation, and the proposed Community Wellness Recreation Center could serve as a valuable marketing and economic tool to attract new business and residents, retain our resident population while increasing their overall health, and bolster the economic outlook for our current businesses."

In summary, our new approach to constructing a Community Wellness Recreation Center is different than previous project attempts for the following reasons: creation of a community campus through intergovernmental communication and planning; collaboration with several local public governments; medical and wellness services; library services; preference of the public and key stakeholders to include the new senior center as part of a larger facility; and conducting a feasibility study that answers the question of whether or not the old primary school building is suitable for renovation based on our community's preferences for programming and services.

EVRPD will continue to provide more information on the proposed project and opportunities for community involvement in future news releases. Next week's article will discuss the feasibility study scope and the proposed site location in more detail. For more details please visit evrpd.com or call 970-586-8191 to speak with Executive Director, Skyler Rorabaugh.

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